Treadmill with a Firmly Located Belt

ABSTRACT

A treadmill includes a frame, front and rear roller, a belt and at least two upper guiding units. The front and rear rollers are supported on the frame. The belt is wound around the front and rear rollers. The upper guiding units are connected to the frame and used for contact with the upper section of the belt to alleviate suspension of the upper section of the belt above the frame.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a treadmill and, more particularly, toa treadmill including a firmly located belt.

2. Related Prior Art

A conventional treadmill includes a frame, front and rear rollerssupported on the frame, a belt wound around the front and rear rollers,and a platform or a series of intermediate rollers supported on theframe between the front and rear rollers and beneath an upper section ofthe belt. The platform may be planar or concave. The intermediaterollers may be arranged in a rectilinear or concave manner. To reduceimpacts on a user's feet, angles, knees and legs, the platform isconcave, or the intermediate rollers are arranged in a concave manner.The upper section of the belt suspends on the platform or theintermediate rollers because the upper section of the belt is shorterand lighter than a lower section of the belt. Hence, there is a gapbetween the upper section of the belt and the platform or theintermediate rollers. The user often neglects the gap and assumes thatthe belt is firmly supported on the platform or the intermediaterollers. The user could lose balance and, in the worst case, fall on thebelt and get hurt. The risks are higher with the concave platform or theintermediate rollers arranged in a concave manner than with the planarplatform or the intermediate rollers arranged in a rectilinear manner.

Furthermore, while exercising with the treadmill, the user inevitablymoves the belt transversely as well as longitudinally. This causes edgesof the belt to rub against the frame. This would eventually wear thebelt and might entail a jam of the belt and cause the user to losebalance and, in the worst scenario, fall on the belt and get hurt.

The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at leastalleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide areliable and smooth treadmill.

To achieve the foregoing objectives, the treadmill includes a frame,front and rear roller, a belt and at least two upper guiding units. Thefront and rear rollers are supported on the frame. The belt is woundaround the front and rear rollers. The upper guiding units are connectedto the frame and used for contact with the upper section of the belt toalleviate suspension of the upper section of the belt above the frame.

Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention willbe apparent from the following description referring to the attacheddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described via detailed illustration ofthree embodiments referring to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a treadmill according to the firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the treadmill shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the treadmill shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a treadmill according to the secondembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a treadmill according to the thirdembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a treadmill 10 includes a frame 20, a frontroller 30, a rear roller 40, a series of intermediate rollers 23, a belt50, upper guiding units 60, lower guiding units 70 and lateral guidingunits 80 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Theframe 20 includes two lateral bars extending in a concave manner. Acaster 22 is supported on a bracket 21 attached to a front end of eachof the lateral bars of the frame 20. The casters 22 are used for rollingon the ground or a floor for transporting the treadmill 10.

Two feet 24 are connected to the frame 20. In detail, each of the feet24 includes a horizontal section extending between two verticalsections. Each of the vertical sections of each of the feet 24 isconnected to a related one of the lateral bars of the frame 20. Thehorizontal sections of the feet 24 are used for contact with the groundor floor for positioning the treadmill 10.

Each of the rollers 23, 30 and 40 are supported on the lateral bars ofthe frame 20. In detail, each of the rollers 23, 30 and 40 includes anend supported on one of the lateral bars of the frame 20 and an oppositeend supported on the other lateral bar of the frame 20. The intermediaterollers 23 are located between the front roller 30 and the rear roller40. The front roller 30 is located between the casters 22.

The belt 50 is in the form of a loop wound around the front roller 30,the rear roller 40 and the intermediate rollers 23. All of the rollers30, 40 and 23 are located between upper and lower sections of the belt50. The upper section of the belt 50 is shorter and lighter than thelower section. Without any guiding units, the upper section of the belt50 would dangle from the rollers 30 and 40 less than the lower sectionof the belt 50 and hence suspend above the series of intermediaterollers 23.

Referring to FIG. 3, the upper guiding units 60 are arranged in twoseries. Each of the series of upper guiding units 60 is connected to anupper face of a related one of the lateral bars of the frame 20 forcontact with a related one of two opposite margins of the upper sectionof the belt 50. Each of the series of upper guiding units 60 includes anadequate number of upper guiding units 60 to push almost the entireupper section of the belt 50 against the series of intermediate rollers23.

Each of the upper guiding units 60 includes a rod 61 and a block 62. Therod 61 includes an end in contact with the related margin of the uppersection of the belt 50 and an opposite end secured to the block 62 bywelding for example. The block 62 is secured to the upper face of therelated lateral bar of the frame 20 by welding for example.

The upper face of each of the lateral bars of the frame 20 is locatedlower than a concave plane defined by upper portions of the intermediaterollers 23. The blocks 62 compensate the gap between a concave planedefined by the upper faces of the lateral bars of the frame 20 and theconcave plane defined by the upper portions of the intermediate rollers23. The blocks 62 are secured to the upper faces of the lateral bars ofthe frame 20 so that upper faces of the blocks 62 are located in theconcave plane defined by the upper portions of the intermediate rollers23.

The lower guiding units 70 are arranged in two series. Each of theseries of lower guiding units 70 is connected to a lower face of arelated one of the lateral bars of the frame 20 for contact with arelated one of two opposite margins of the lower section of the belt 50.

Each of the lower guiding units 70 includes a rod 71, a bracket 72 and aroller or bearing 73. The bracket 72 includes a horizontal sectionsecured to the lower face of the related lateral bar of the frame 20 bywelding for example and a vertical section extending from the horizontalsection. The rod 71 includes an end in contact with the related marginof the lower section of the belt 50 and an opposite end secured to thevertical section of the bracket 72 by welding for example. The roller orbearing 73 is supported on an axle secured to the vertical section ofthe bracket 72 by welding for example. The lower section of the belt 50is located between the rod 71 and the roller or bearing 73.

The lateral guiding units 80 are arranged in two series. Each of theseries of lateral guiding units 80 is connected to a related one of thelateral bars of the frame 20 for contact with a related one of twoopposite edges of the lower section of the belt 50. Each of the lateralguiding units 80 includes a pulley 81 supported on an axle 82 secured tothe lower face of the related lateral bar of the frame 20 by welding forexample. Each of the pulleys 81 includes an annular groove for receivingthe related edge of the lower section of the belt 50. Lateral movementof the belt 50 on the rollers 23, 30 and 40 is avoided by the lateralguiding units 80.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a treadmill according to a secondembodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is like thefirst embodiment except several things. At first, the upper face of eachof the lateral bars of the frame 20 is located higher than the concaveplane defined by the upper portions of the intermediate rollers 23.Hence, the blocks 62 are omitted. Furthermore, each of the rods 61includes an end inserted in and secured to the related lateral bar ofthe frame 20.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a treadmill according to a thirdembodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is like thefirst embodiment except including two upper guiding units 90 instead ofthe two series of upper guiding units 60. Each of the upper guidingunits 90 includes a concave strip 91 with a portion secured to a relatedone of the lateral bars of the frame 20 by welding for example andanother portion in contact with a related one of the margins of theupper section of the belt 50.

Although not shown, the upper guiding units 60 and the lower guidingunits 70 may be exchanged in another embodiment.

The present invention has been described via the detailed illustrationof the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations fromthe embodiments without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. Hence, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of thepresent invention defined in the claims.

1. A treadmill including: a frame; front and rear rollers supported onthe frame; a belt wound around the front and rear rollers and formedwith upper and lower sections; and at least two upper guiding unitsconnected to the frame and used for contact with the upper section ofthe belt to alleviate suspension of the upper section of the belt abovethe frame.
 2. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein each of theguiding units includes a rod with a first end secured to the frame and asecond end in contact with an upper face of the upper section of thebelt.
 3. The treadmill according to claim 2, wherein each of the guidingunits includes a block secured to the frame, wherein the first end ofthe rod is secured to the block.
 4. The treadmill according to claim 1,wherein each of the guiding units includes a strip with a portionsecured to the frame and another portion in contact with an upper faceof the upper section of the belt.
 5. A treadmill including: a frame;front and rear rollers supported on the frame; a belt wound around therollers and formed with upper and lower sections and two edges; and atleast two lower guiding units connected to the frame and used forcontact with the lower section of the belt to alleviate suspension ofthe upper section of the belt above the frame.
 6. The treadmillaccording to claim 5, wherein each of the lower guiding units includes aroller in contact with a lower face of the lower section of the belt. 7.The treadmill according to claim 6, wherein each of the lower guidingunits includes a rod in contact with an upper face of the lower sectionof the belt.
 8. The treadmill according to claim 7, wherein each of thelower guiding units includes a bracket including a section connected tothe frame and another section connected to the rod and the roller. 9.The treadmill according to claim 5, further including at least two upperguiding units connected to the frame and used for contact with the uppersection of the belt to alleviate suspension of the upper section of thebelt above the frame.
 10. The treadmill according to claim 9, whereineach of the guiding units includes a rod with a first end secured to theframe and a second end in contact with an upper face of the uppersection of the belt.
 11. The treadmill according to claim 10, whereineach of the guiding units includes a block secured to the frame, whereinthe first end of the rod is secured to the block.
 12. The treadmillaccording to claim 9, wherein each of the guiding units includes a stripwith a portion secured to the frame and another portion in contact withan upper face of the upper section of the belt.
 13. The treadmillaccording to claim 5, further including two lateral guiding unitsconnected to the frame and each used for contact with a related one ofthe edges of the belt to prevent lateral movement of the belt on theframe.
 14. The treadmill according to claim 13, wherein each of thelateral guiding units includes a pulley with an annular groove forreceiving the related edge of the belt so that the lateral guiding unitsprevent lateral movement of the belt on the frame but allow smoothrolling of the belt on the front and rear rollers.